Is leukemia a childhood cancer?

Leukemia is often thought of as a childhood cancer, but it is not only that. It is the most common cancer in children younger than 15. At the same time, leukemia occurs most often in adults older than 55.

So leukemia affects both children and older adults. It is the leading cancer in young children, yet across all ages it is most common later in life.

Leukemia itself is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. The type of leukemia depends on which kind of blood cell becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly.

If you have questions about leukemia at a particular age, your healthcare team is the best source for information about a specific situation.